- The recently concluded Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England saw Indian athletes winning handsomely in several disciplines. Some medals won in hitherto unheard events were not even known to the majority of the Indian citizens as well. A case in point is lawn bowls which saw our women winning the gold and men winning the silver, respectively. Yes, triumph in any international sporting event is welcome, especially for a country not known to have a sporting culture unlike some other countries in comparison. Welcomingly, this time around, the Indian athletes performed remarkably well winning hands down on expected lines.
PC: Kevin Stott
- The moot point to ponder over here is whether the country can be proudly proclaimed as having arrived big time in the international sporting arena. The answer will be a resounding no. The level of competition in the CWG as against say World Championships or for that matter, the Olympics is incomparable as some of the top-notch nations well-endowed with accomplishments in the world of sports do not participate in the former. Why, even the Asian Games will be more competitive in nature as compared to the CWG, especially in our big medal-delivering disciplines like wrestling, boxing, and badminton.
- With due respect to the athletes who have brought laurels to the nation by winning the highest medal tally in the just concluded CWG as yet, there is still a long way to traverse before we are counted as at par with some of the most accomplished nations in the field of sports. Of course, due appreciation should be accorded to the Union Government for laying tremendous thrust into promoting sports at various levels. Taking nothing away from the performances, it is equally important to analyze what has worked at CWG, do more of the same, as well to address the palpable letdowns.
PC: SPORTS WRITER
- On the first front, the investment in foreign exposure trips has definitely proved its weight in medals. In a telling example, Avinash Sable whose CWG silver made him the first non-Kenyan to medal in steeplechase since 1994, credits his training in the US with an enormous impact on his development and confidence. Speaking of confidence, a crisis of confidence seems to have sapped our women’s cricket team as well as men’s hockey team in the finals against Australia. Jangled nerves taking a toll at climactic moments cost us the gold medals exposing a weakness that demands specialized attention.
- A larger malaise is also suggested by how India’s first-ever medal winner in the men’s high jump could only get to the competition by tapping on the doors of the court. Thus, Tejaswin Shankar’s saga calls for refining the selection process. Nonetheless, how many parents see sports as a viable career option even now? Except for cricket, Indian sport still underperforms and underpays relative to the size of our population and economy. Moreover, while there is no gainsaying the green shoots today, it will take a lot more money, professional management, and livelihood opportunities to achieve wider participation and a satisfactory global standing. More needs to be done though.
